Interbasin Flux Measurements Using Simple Methods

Abstract

The Vertical Transport and Mixing (VTMX) campaign, sponsored by the US Department of Energy, took place in the Salt Lake Valley during October, 2000. The purpose of VTMX was to further understanding of meteorological processes that govern vertical transport and mixing in complex terrain, particularly during nocturnal stable periods and their morning and evening transition periods. These meteorological processes were the subject of numerous sponsored studies during VTMX. The Salt Lake (Salt Lake City) Basin and the Utah Basin to its south are separated by the Traverse Range. Near-surface airflow between the basins is channeled through the Jordan Narrows, also the channel for the Jordan River that flows from the Utah Basin into Salt Lake via the Salt Lake Basin. Jordan Narrows is thus a potentially significant corridor for pollutant transport between the two basins. This paper describes simple and direct pollutant (PM{sub 10}) measurements, with concurrent continuous meteorological monitoring, to characterize pollutant transport between the two basins via low-level stable nocturnal drainage flow, with an emphasis on its vertical variability when mixing is limited. The Jordan Narrows has similarities to other transport corridors where direct in-corridor monitoring of pollutant flux might enhance pollution forecasts during transport conditions. Thus theirmore » more general objective is to assess the usefulness of direct methods to characterize pollutant flux in similar environments.« less